# Cruz Azul go top as América draw 2-2 at Pumas; five clubs in the Liguilla; Vásquez and Vargas play on Sunday

*Cruz Azul won 3-2 at Tigres and lead on 32 points. Toluca beat Monterrey 4-0, Pachuca won 4-1 at Atlas. Vásquez's Genoa host Milan at 08:00 CDMX (15:00 CET); Vargas's Atlético face Barcelona at 14:00 CDMX.*

News · Published 07:49 CET, 8 Nov 2026 · Match News (https://matchnews.news/news/cruz-azul-go-top-america-held-by-pumas-five-clubs-in-the-liguilla-vasquez-and-vargas-play-sunday/)
By News desk · Reviewed by Fredrik Jurek

Cruz Azul are the new leaders of the Liga MX Apertura 2026 after winning 3-2 at Tigres on Saturday night, while América, who started the day on top, drew 2-2 at Pumas in Ciudad Universitaria and have now gone four games without a win. Five clubs have secured their places in the Liguilla, the eight-team knockout stage that decides the title. On Sunday two Mexicans play in Europe's biggest games of the day: Johan Vásquez with Genoa against Milan at 08:00 CDMX (15:00 CET), and Obed Vargas with Atlético Madrid against Barcelona at 14:00 CDMX (21:00 CET).

## Saturday's results

Pumas 2-2 América, at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, kicked off at 21:00 CDMX (04:00 CET on Sunday). According to Fox Sports México's match report, Alejandro Zendejas put América ahead in the third minute from an Óscar Perea cross, "Chino" Huerta equalised for Pumas, Henry Martín restored América's lead from a penalty, and Robert Morales levelled again from another penalty. The referee was César Ramos. Fox Sports México's headline calls it a crisis for América, with four games in a row without a win. One note of care: the same outlet's table page listed the game as 1-1 on Saturday night, while its match report and headline say 2-2; this piece follows the match report, which names the four scorers.

Tigres 2-3 Cruz Azul at the Volcán sent Cruz Azul top. According to Fox Sports México's table page, Cruz Azul have 32 points, América 30, Guadalajara 29, Toluca 27 and Atlas 27. Toluca beat Monterrey 4-0, a result Monterrey's coach Matías Almeyda summed up with the words "fuimos ampliamente superados", as Fox Sports México quoted him. Pachuca won 4-1 at Atlas, with Salomón Rondón scoring again; Fox Sports México's scoring chart now has him on 16 goals for the tournament, five clear of Henry Martín on 11.

## Who is in the Liguilla, and who is out

This tournament there is no Play-In. The owners' assembly removed it permanently in October, Fox Sports México reported, so the top eight in the table go straight to the quarter-finals, which are played between Wednesday 25 and Sunday 29 November. After Saturday, Fox Sports México's Liguilla tracker says Cruz Azul, América, Guadalajara, Toluca and Atlas are certain of a place. Tigres, Atlante, Necaxa and Juárez are out. Santos, on 25 points, and Pachuca and Tijuana, on 22, hold the other three places for now, with León also on 22 and able to overtake. Querétaro, with nine points still to play for, and Pumas, with three, still have a mathematical chance, and the tracker gives Puebla and Atlético de San Luis a remote one.

Sunday's two games shape the bottom of the eight. Querétaro host Puebla at 18:00 CDMX (01:00 CET on Monday) and León host Guadalajara at 20:10 CDMX (03:10 CET on Monday), as this site reported on Friday from the Mexican outlets' listings; Liga MX's own calendar page could not be read by this site this weekend. The final round, jornada 17, follows the international break, in which El Tri play Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final.

## Vásquez against Milan, Vargas against Barcelona

Johan Vásquez's Genoa host Milan at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris at 08:00 CDMX (15:00 CET) on Sunday, in the 11th round of Serie A. Vásquez captained Genoa in their win over Juventus in the ninth round, according to ESPN, and Daniele De Rossi is the coach. Genoa are 12th with 13 points; Milan are fifth with 21 and lost 0-2 at home to Ferencváros in the Europa League on Thursday. This site's Markets desk has written separately about how Milan's price for this game has moved during the week. Genoa's squad list for Sunday was not on a source this site could read, so whether Vásquez starts is not confirmed here.

Obed Vargas's Atlético Madrid host Barcelona at the Metropolitano at 14:00 CDMX (21:00 CET), third against first in La Liga, with Real Madrid level with Barcelona on 30 points after winning 3-0 at Valencia on Saturday. An Atlético win would put them top. Atlético's squad list could not be read by this site on Sunday morning, so Vargas's place in it is not confirmed; this site reported on Thursday that Diego Simeone had explained his limited minutes by the size of the squad, in words carried by Récord.

Santiago Giménez's Porto, Álvaro Fidalgo's Real Betis, who play at Elche at 07:00 CDMX (14:00 CET), and Alex Padilla's Athletic Club, who drew 1-1 at Osasuna on Saturday, were not covered by any source this site could read on Sunday morning, so there is no news on those three players here.

## Sources

1. ¡Crisis Águila! América no pudo con Pumas y llegan a 4 juegos seguidos sin triunfo (Fox Sports México) https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2026/11/07/pumas-2-2-america-resumen-y-goles-del-partido-de-la-jornada-apertura-2026-de-la-liga-mx/ - Read 07:04 CET, 8 Nov 2026
2. ¡Nuevo líder! Cruz Azul se pone en la cima del campeonato: Así quedó la tabla (Fox Sports México) https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2026/11/07/liga-mx-tabla-general-de-posiciones-tras-la-jornada-16-del-torneo-apertura-2026/ - Read 07:04 CET, 8 Nov 2026
3. Liguilla al momento: cruces y fechas de cuartos de final del Apertura 2026 tras la Jornada 16 de Liga MX (Fox Sports México) https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2026/11/07/liguilla-al-momento-cruces-fechas-y-eliminados-del-apertura-2026-tras-la-jornada-16-de-liga-mx/ - Read 07:05 CET, 8 Nov 2026
4. 'Fue muy pobre lo nuestro'; Matías Almeyda lamentó la paliza que sufrió Monterrey en Toluca (Fox Sports México) https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2026/11/07/fue-muy-pobre-lo-nuestro-matias-almeyda-lamento-la-paliza-que-sufrio-monterrey-en-toluca/ - Read 07:05 CET, 8 Nov 2026
5. Liga MX: tabla de goleo individual tras la Jornada 16 del torneo Apertura 2026 (Fox Sports México) https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2026/11/07/liga-mx-tabla-de-goleo-individual-tras-la-jornada-16-del-torneo-apertura-2026/ - Read 07:05 CET, 8 Nov 2026
6. ¿Sigue el Play-In o habrá Liguilla directa? Así se jugará la Fase Final de la Liga MX este AP2026 (Fox Sports México) https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2026/10/15/sigue-el-play-in-o-habra-liguilla-directa-asi-se-jugara-la-fase-final-de-la-liga-mx-este-ap2026/ - Read 07:05 CET, 8 Nov 2026
7. Johan Vásquez fue capitán del Genoa en la victoria sobre Juventus (ESPN) https://www.espn.co.cr/futbol/italia/nota/_/id/17445311/johan-vasquez-genoa-juventus-triunfo-serie-a-2026 - Read 07:05 CET, 8 Nov 2026
8. Genoa vs Milan, fecha 11 de la Serie A: fecha, hora y TV en vivo (ESPN) https://www.espn.co.cr/futbol/italia/nota/_/id/17484489/genoa-vs-milan-fecha-11-serie-a-equipo-fecha-hora-y-tv-en-vivo - Read 07:05 CET, 8 Nov 2026
9. Fixtures and standings for Serie A and La Liga (licensed feed, generated 2026-11-08T05:22Z, in data/latest.json) (football-data.org via Match News) https://www.football-data.org/ - Read 06:40 CET, 8 Nov 2026

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